D-DEI, Christopher Arnette, traveled to Portland, OR to participate in the SACNAS NDiSTEM Conference. The specific goals of attending and having a booth at this conference were to raise awareness about IMOD, but also to recruit for the 2024 IMOD REU program, participate in a panel with other STC directors, and to foster relationships amongst groups underrepresented in STEM.
The 2023 SACNAS NDiSTEM conference consisted of high school students, undergraduates, graduate students, postdocs, faculty, staff, and program directors.
Engaging with and students, faculty, and postdocs from groups underrepresented in STEM in spaces that center their experiences is critical to improving the broadening participation goals of IMOD and of STEM in general. Over the course of two days, D-DEI promoted the overall mission of IMOD and spread awareness about the STC to the larger cohort of groups underrepresented in STEM. The D-DEI also participated in a panel to provide useful skills to to improve their pitches and for speaking with diverse audiences. He also worked to recruit students to apply to the 2024 IMOD Research Experience for Undergraduates, and to identify and foster relationships with minority serving institutions across the country. The conference helped to raise the profile of IMOD within these communities and, as the first-time having representation at this conference, provided valuable information on ways to continue to engage in the future.